Many weeks ago at an event at a big auditorium, I arrived late. After a hurried scan for an empty seat, I scurried to the first available one I could find.  I realized next to me was Ning Hilario whom I just met a few months back during a photoshoot featuring my shop and me in the magazine where she is the Executive Editor —Meg, of One Mega Group.

During that previous meeting when Ning talked to me about her desire to do mission work, I was so inspired that here she was as editor of a popular magazine and her heart was to serve God. What does a marriage of faith and career look like?

While waiting for the event to start, Ning graciously agreed to be interviewed for this blog.

BUTTERFLYINTHESPRING (BITS): Hi Ning! How would you describe Meg if I didn’t know anything about it?
NING HILARIO (NH):  Meg is a magazine for young women… mostly those who just graduated from college who have questions about fashion, beauty lifestyle, career, relationship health fitness, family.  We try to make the magazine solve real problems for real people, not just about being materialistic or trendy.

BITS:  How long have you been a believer?
NH: My college friends would invite me in my first year in college ten years ago. I would just join JZone, the youth fellowship.  Somewhere along the road, my D-group leader shared the gospel to me. It was a while before I really understood what Jesus did for me

BITS: What fertilized your faith?
NH: I believe in really reading the bible. That’s how I got to know Jesus. The Holy Spirit works, Jesus opens your eyes to who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s about to do.  The intentional discipleship of others to me.  My D-group leader also plugged me to different ministries where I had different experiences of serving Him like in graphics, retreats if I could facilitate. Those things matter because you get to exercise your faith and you also hear of other people’s experiences of the Lord.

BITS: When you say “graphics,” is that related to your work?
NH:  Not really; it’s live production work.  When I was choosing which ministry to serve in, I wanted something new so I could learn  and also I wanted it to keep me humble— because I didn’t know anything about it.

BITS:  How does your faith affect your work?
NG: #1  My work is so stressful.  If you have the Lord, you don’t have to worry because you serve an almighty God and He can control everything…  if you follow His will.

#2 It’s who you are.  You don’t just go to church on Sundays alone but you live your life according to God and His commands and promises. During the first few years of my job, it was rocky because I didn’t know Jesus as much as I know him now.  The more He opened my eyes to Him,  I realized how even in the workplace, you can glorify Him.

BITS:  How do you think you can glorify Him in your work?
NH: In content… which is powerful; however, that is a result of different people working together for one product  and it’s not my responsibility entirely… so it’s more of how you live each moment looking at Him.  When people see how you deal with challenges, how everything you’re doing is for His glory, how you depend on Him alone, when you are being mindful of what you do and mindful that people will see you and how you do things and hopefully see Jesus in you, that is faith applied and shared. God has given me the position of leading the team.

BITS: You get to lead by example even without words!! How much of it is intentional of glorifying God in your life? Do you just sometimes review your life and  realize He was glorified?
NH:  Before I even do work, at my desk, I pray.   Even when I write, I pray… because I know if the words come from me, it will not be extraordinary.  Apart from Him, everything that I do is worthless, meager, mediocre.  But because of His sustenance and His power in me, I get to do different things for Him.  Having that mindset and thinking that there’s someone watching you not just out of policing but out of love… that inspires me.  I would try to bring the girls here and share the experience with them.

BITS: When you say someone is watching over you not by policing but out of love, what’s the difference?
NH: Perfect love casts out fear.  If you do things out of love, you’re not restricted or constrained to work for a certain reward or to avoid punishment or a consequence.  When someone is watching over you out of love, you respond by doing things to please the person because you’re doing it out of love also, that’s how God works. That’s how He values obedience, not to lift your own name higher but out of love for Him.

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For Ning Hilario, marrying faith with career in the position of influence God gave her translates into seeking excellence in her output (magazine content) and the example she gives to the people around her as she applies what she knows God wants her to do and lives her life to please Him not out of fear but out of love.

Thank You, Lord, for the life of Ning Hilario and for using her to be a living example of Your Word applied in work. May You continue to bless and anoint her to shine Your light in Jesus’s name amen.